Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 1, Number 8, 1 October 1984 — NCAI Supports Hawaiian Reparations [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

NCAI Supports Hawaiian Reparations

SPOKANE — Another major national organization has pledged support for Hawaiian reparations. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) at its 4 1 st Annual Convention in Spokane, Wash., last month adopted OHA's resolution requesting Congress "to acknowledge the immoral and illegal actions of the United States in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 and to indicate its commitment to grant restitution for the losses and damages suffered by Native Hawaiians ..."

1 he NCAI action was taken lollowing a presentation to the NCAI Committee on Legislation/Litigation and Natural Resources by OHA Chairman Joseph Kealoha. Kealoha also screened the OH A Ceded Lands slide show for committee members and guests. The NCAI is the oldest and largest national American Indian and Alaska Native organization. It was founded in 1944 as a network of nations and a forum for developing a national policy on protection of Indian rights and betterment of Indian life. Following passage of OHA's resolution, NCAI president Joe DeLaCruz drew a parallel between the manner in

whieh Hawaiians and Indians have been treated by the U.S. government. DeLaCruz said, "The United States historically has taken over the land and resources of

indigenous peoples. It has followed a eonsistent policy of trying to eliminate the rights of native citizens by attempting to assimilate them."

DeLaCruz said NCAI will continue the battle to "preserve the inalienahle rights of Indians and all native Americans." He pointed out that NCAI has supported Hawaiian rights in the past and worked for passage of the 1971 Native Alaskan Claims Settlement Act. DeLaCruz, commenting on some of the problems faced by his people, said that there is a growing anti-Indian political movement moving across the land. The clearest demonstration of this he said takes the form of Initiative #456 in the State of Washington. The initiative, il' passed by voters in that State, seeks to overturn a U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding special fishing rights for Indians in the Pacific Northwest. "If this initiative is successfui", DeLaCruz said, "it will provide antiIndian forces with a powerful weapon to pressure Congress into overturning other Supreme Court decisions whieh support Indians claims for land, natural resources and sovereignty." OHA Chairman Kealoha told DeLaCruz he intends to discuss this matter with members of Hawaii's congressional delegation and will ask the OH A Board to take an official stand on Indian treaty rights.

OHA C'hairman Joseph Kealoha and Joseph DeLaCruz, president of the National Congress of American Indians at their Spokane convention.